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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25086292">Treasure in Chocolate</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibimono/pseuds/chibimono'>chibimono</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chocolate, Gen, Hershey's Chocolate, Historical References, Nostalgia, Post-Captain America: The First Avenger, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2011-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2011-10-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:34:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,043</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25086292</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/chibimono/pseuds/chibimono</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve has a few luxuries in life: a sketch pad, pencils, and chocolate.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Treasure in Chocolate</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Originally written after viewing Captain America: First Avenger in the movie theater. Posted to Livejournal and Tumblr.<br/>Somewhat historically accurate history of Hershey's chocolate, as experienced by Steve Rogers.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Steve’s mama pinched pennies everywhere she possibly could. The doctor visits and hospital bills from Steve’s scarlet fever and rheumatic fever and asthma made it difficult to get by, but she made sure she did the best she absolutely could by Steve. It was little luxuries that they really couldn’t afford, but mama always tucked a little money away to buy things for Steve just for special occasions: sketch books, drawing pencils, and Hershey’s chocolate bars. A hot summer New York day with fireworks over Prospect Park at night, Steve can remember cramming a quickly melting bar of chocolate into his mouth and sticky finger prints on his pencils, on the cover and pages of his art pad. Snow covered streets at Christmas, as he scribbled the afternoons away with a snapped off bite of creamy chocolate melting on his tongue, thinking of how to ration it out until New Year’s.</p>
<p>Losing his mama meant losing those little luxuries, meant letting go of the tangible triggers of memories. Not that Steve wanted to let go. He fought tooth and nail for them, scrambling through chores at the orphanage so he could get out in the afternoons to fumble through deliveries and make a few well earned cents. He saved every little bit he could because he knew once he was old enough, no one but himself was going to carry him anymore. But as long as he knew it wouldn’t break his little bank, his little jar hidden between the frame and mattress of his bunk, Steve gave in to what he felt was a guilty pleasure: a sketch pad, a few pencils, and a Hershey’s Kiss. Sure, the Kiss was just one bite, but Steve held it under his tongue and let it melt, practically drooling over himself as he tried not to swallow, tried to hold the taste for as long as he could.</p>
<p>The first time Bucky saw him act a fool over chocolate, it was Steve’s birthday and Bucky had followed him as Steve bought his presents for himself. The last stop was the shop on the corner and Steve smiled at his new best friend before dropping the coins for two Hershey’s Kisses. Bucky hadn’t known Steve for very long, maybe a few months, but he knew how careful Steve was with his money. A Kiss didn’t cost a whole heck of a lot, so he just thought that Steve was treating Bucky for spending the afternoon with him as he gently put the foil wrapped gift in Bucky’s hand. But as they stepped out the shop and popped the chocolates in their mouths, Bucky was lucky to get more than nods and shakes of his head out of Steve. When Steve finally swallowed, it was with a little crumpled expression of disappointment.</p>
<p>“Stevie, it’s just chocolate,” Bucky nearly laughed.</p>
<p>But the serious little pout on Steve’s face, the near tears in Steve’s blue eyes told Bucky it wasn’t really just. “It... tastes so good,” he said quietly. He didn’t tell Bucky about how it reminded him of his mama and how he thought it was what heaven might taste like.</p>
<p>Bucky had Steve sit on the stoop at the orphanage and wait for him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and counted all his change and he had just enough. So he tore back to the corner store and bought two bars, a plain old Hershey’s and a Mr. Goodbar. Shoving them at Steve, he smiled. “Happy birthday, Stevie. I didn’t know what else to getcha”</p>
<p>With a watery smile, Steve snapped the Mr. Goodbar in half and gave part of it to Bucky before shoving his half in his mouth. He spent the rest of the day itching with hives (Bucky didn’t know he was allergic to peanuts, but with as sickly as Steve was, he should have) and thanked Bucky every chance he could. The Hershey bar was rationed out between the two of them through the rest of the week. From then on, if Bucky had a few coins to spare, he’d stop for a hand full of Kisses to bring Steve.</p>
<p>Where chocolate was a luxury at home in the States for Steve, it became a necessity on the front lines. Parading around in tights on stage wasn’t so bad for him, but the actual physical everything of fighting took Steve down pretty quickly in his first few battles. His metabolism was knocking him for a loop and he found he had to get past pecking at his food and dig in to all the things he could. He didn’t have the allergies that plagued him before the serum, or the easily upset stomach. It was strange, at first, to actually have a full feeling in his belly. But when the going really got tough, even Steve could become a bottomless pit if presented with a wide enough spread.</p>
<p>More than once, Steve thanked the heavens for ration packs from the home-front. Cardboard tubes of candy-coated Hershey’s chocolate, little bite size pieces made to not melt in his overly warm hands; the m&amp;m’s were a godsend. A few of the Commandos, Bucky especially, and even some of the SSR field agents were more than willing to donate their candy rations to Steve. He stuffed his pouches with them, glad that he could forgo half the ammo everyone else carried thanks to his trusty shield.</p>
<p>And when his hands became shaky or his knees a little wobbly, Steve could dive for cover and dig a tube from his pouch, downing it in about two crunchy, sugary mouthfuls. Then he’d be back on his feet and in a few minutes he was good as gold. If the Red Skull only knew, he could’ve had the war in the bag.</p>
<p>When Steve woke up, Fury offered to get him anything he needed. His request was simple and Agent Coulson had a package in his hands within the hour. Sketch pad, pencils, and a Hershey bar. The quality of the paper and pencils was better than anything Steve and his mama could have ever afforded. But the beautiful melt-in-his-mouth creaminess and rich bittersweet flavor of the chocolate changed very little in near to seventy years.</p>
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